DESCRIPTION: (Taken from the applicant's abstract) The purpose of the Program is to train postdoctoral fellows for full-time academic careers in rheumatology research. Trainees will be prepared for research and teaching in the subspecialty. The training will primarily revolve around laboratory or clinical investigation and didactic training in rheumatology research to provide a background for a career in academic rheumatology investigation. Currently the Training Program has a faculty of 18 persons from the Departments of Internal Medicine, Dermatology, Immunology, Pediatrics and Orthopedics. There are currently 17 postdoctoral fellows in training. Research training in immunology, molecular biology, cell biology and clinical trial design is available. Trainees are assigned to one of the full-time faculty members for direct supervision of research progress. Each trainee works closely with his supervisor for day-to-day guidance in the design of experiments, utilization of appropriate methodology, and data analysis. The training director provides overall supervision for the direction of the research by maintaining close contact both with the trainee and with his/her supervisor. In addition to his/her research activity, the trainee will receive clinical training, when appropriate in both outpatient and inpatient environments. He/she will also attend a weekly research-in-progress conference, and a weekly basic science journal club. In addition, regular seminars and clinical conferences of the Department of Internal Medicine and research seminars and conferences of the Immunology Program are available. Trainees will have M.D. or Ph.D. degrees. The Training Program will be carried out in the laboratories of the Rheumatic Diseases Division of the Department of Internal Medicine and the Harold C. Simmons Arthritis Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.